Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions of race, gender
and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture; and from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports. In fact, few fields have such broad scope and relevance for research, theory, and application of knowledge. Sociology provides many distinctive perspectives on the world, generating new ideas and critiquing the old. The field also offers a range of research techniques that can be applied to virtually any aspect of social life: street crime and delinquency,
corporate downsizing, how people express emotions, welfare or education reform, how families differ and flourish, or problems of peace and war. Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time, it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who craft policies and create programs. Sociologists understand social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces for social change and resistance, and how social systems work. As the following pages convey,
sociology is an exciting discipline with expanding opportunities for a wide range of career paths. ~Careers in Sociology, The American Sociological Association The Sociology Department at Case has a friendly environment. Our campus is part of a 550-acre park-like concentration of nearly 40 cultural, medical, educational, religious, and social service institutions, located at the eastern
edge of the City of Cleveland, Ohio. At this time, the Department has 11 full time faculty as well as several lecturers and associated faculty from other Case academic departments. The Ph.D. program has approximately 30 students from year to year, and the undergraduate program has about 50 students studying for majors and over 20 studying to complete a sociology minor.CWRU Department of Sociology
Definition of sociology
1 : the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships specifically : the systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of organized groups of human beings
2 : the scientific analysis of a social institution as a functioning whole and as it relates to the rest of society
Examples of sociology in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Pay-to-stay laws were put into place in many areas during the tough-on-crime era of the 1980s and ‘90s, said Brittany Friedman, an assistant professor of sociology at University of Southern California who is leading a study of the practice. — Pat Eaton-robb, Anchorage Daily News, 27 Aug. 2022 Pay-to-stay laws were put into place in many areas during the tough-on-crime era of the 1980s and ‘90s, said Brittany Friedman, an assistant professor of sociology at University of Southern California who is leading a study of the practice. — Pat Eaton-robb, Hartford Courant, 27 Aug. 2022 Pay-to-stay laws were put into place in many areas during the tough-on-crime era of the 1980s and ’90s, said Brittany Friedman, an assistant professor of sociology at University of Southern California who is leading a study of the practice. — Pat Eaton-robb, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2022 Elizabeth Korver-Glenn is an assistant professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis whose research focuses on the racial and economic housing inequalities. — Elizabeth Korver-glenn, CNN, 24 Aug. 2022 Originally from the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, Gwendolyn graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with degrees in history and sociology. — Gwendolyn Wu, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 July 2022 Jessica Calarco is an associate professor of sociology at Indiana University. — Jessica Calarco, CNN, 8 July 2022 The Eastern students were selected based on faculty recommendations and academic majors related to education, history and sociology. — courant.com, 15 Oct. 2021 Elizabeth Fussell, a sociology professor at Brown University, found one of the NSC-131 flyers near the Mount Hope Community Baptist Church in Providence, which has a predominantly Black congregation. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 12 July 2022 See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sociology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
History and Etymology for sociology
French sociologie, from socio- + -logie -logy
More Definitions for sociology
so·ci·ol·o·gy | \ ˌsō-sē-ˈäl-ə-jē , ˌsō-shē- \
Medical Definition of sociology
: the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships specifically : the systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of organized groups of human beings